CIHM 

Microfiche 

Series 

(IMonographs) 


ICIMH 

Collection  de 

microfiches 

(monographies) 


Canadian  Instituta  for  Historical  Microraproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  da  microraprodMCtlons  hiatoriquas 


©199 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes  /  Notes  techniques  et  bibliographiques 


The  Institute  has  attempted  to  obtain  the  best  original 
copy  available  for  film  ng.  Features  of  this  copy  which 
may  be  bibliographically  unique,  which  may  alter  any  of 
the  images  in  the  reproduction,  or  which  may 
significantly  change  the  usual  method  of  filming  are 
checked  below. 


□ 


Coloured  covers  / 
Couverture  de  couleur 


j    j  Covers  damaged  / 


Couverture  endommagde 


□ Covers  restored  and/or  laminated  / 
Couverture  restaur^e  et/ou  pellicula 

I     I  Cover  title  missing  /  Le  titr*?  de  couverture  manque 

Coloured  maps  /  Cartes  g^graphiques  en  couleur 

0 Coloured  ink  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  black)  / 
Encre  de  couleur  (i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noir 

|~|  Coloured  plates  and/or  illustrations  / 


(i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 

[rations  / 

Planches  et/ou  illustrations  en  couleur 


□ 
□ 

□ 


□ 


□ 


Bound  with  other  material  / 
Reli^  avec  d'autres  documents 

Only  edition  available  / 
Seule  Edition  disponible 

Tight  binding  may  cause  shadows  or  distortion  along 
interior  margin  /  La  reliure  serr^e  peut  causer  de 
I'ombre  ou  de  la  distorsion  le  long  de  la  marge 
int^rieure. 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restorations  may  appear 
within  the  text.  Whenever  possible,  these  have  been 
omitted  from  filming  /  11  se  peut  que  certaines  pages 
blanches  ajout^es  lors  d'une  restauration 
apparaissent  dans  le  texte,  mais,  lorsque  cela  6tait 
possible,  ces  pages  n'ont  pas  6t6  filmees. 

Additional  comments  / 
Commentaires  suppl6mentaires: 


L'Institut  a  microfilm6  le  meilleur  exemplaire  qu'il  lui  a 
6\6  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  details  de  cet  exem- 
plaire qui  sont  peut-dtre  uniques  du  point  de  vue  bibli- 
ographique,  qui  peuvent  modifier  une  image  reproduite, 
ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une  modification  dans  la  m^tho- 
de  normaie  de  filmage  sont  ifKiiquds  ci-des8(Hi8. 

I    I  Coloured  pages  /  Pages  de  couleur 

I    I  Pages  damaged/ Pages  endommagtes 

□ Pages  restored  and/or  laminated  / 
Pages  restaurtes  et/ou  pellicul^es 

0 Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed  / 
Pages  dteolordes.  tachetdes  ou  piqu^es 

I    I  Pages  detached/ Pages  d6tach6es 

I  *^  Showthrough  /  Transparence 

□ Quality  of  print  varies  / 
Quality  in^gale  de  I'impression 

Includes  suppltimentary  material  / 
Comprend  du  n;at6riel  suppl^mentaire 

Pages  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  en-ata  si  ^ 
tissues,  etc.,  have  been  refilmed  to  ensure  the  best 
possible  image  /  Les  pages  totalement  ou 
partiellemcnt  obscurcies  par  un  feuillet  d'errata,  une 
pelure,  etc.,  ont  6\6  filmees  k  nouveau  de  fa9on  k 
obtenir  la  meilleure  image  possible. 

Opposing  pages  with  varying  colouration  or 
discolourations  are  filmed  twice  to  ensure  the  best 
possible  image  /  Les  pages  s'opposant  ayant  des 
colorations  variables  ou  des  decolorations  sont 
filmees  deux  fois  afin  d'obtenir  la  meilleure  image 
possible. 


□ 
□ 


□ 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  chtclted  beiow  / 

Co  documont  oat  fllmA  ou  taux  do  rMuetlon  Indiqu4  ci-deasous. 


lOx 


14x 


18x 


20x 


22x 


26x 


30x 


12x 


16x 


24x 


I   I   I   I   I  I 


28x 


32x 


Tha  copy  filmed  her*  has  b««n  reproductd  thanks 
to  ths  gansrosity  of: 


National  Library  of  Canada 


Ths  images  appearing  hers  ara  tha  bast  quality 
possible  considering  ths  condition  end  legibility 
of  tha  original  copy  and  in  keeping  with  th« 
filming  contract  specifications. 


Original  copies  in  printad  paper  covers  ara  filmed 
beginning  with  tha  front  cover  and  ending  on 
tha  last  page  with  a  printad  or  illustrated  imprea- 
sion,  or  the  back  cover  when  appropriate.  All 
other  original  copies  ara  filmed  beginning  on  the 
first  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  imprea- 
sion,  and  ending  on  the  laat  page  with  ■  printed 
or  iliustratad  impresaion. 


Tha  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol     »  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  symbol  ▼  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  appliaa. 

Maps,  plates,  chsrts.  etc.,  may  be  filmed  at 
different  leduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hend  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


1 


2 


L'txemplairt  filmA  fut  reproduit  gract  I  la 
ginitosixt  da: 

BIbHotMquc  natiorwle  du  Canada 


Las  images  suivantes  ont  ix6  reproduites  avec  le 
plus  grand  soin.  compte  tenu  da  la  condition  et 
da  la  neneiA  de  rexemplair*  film4.  at  an 
-!onf  jrmit4  avac  las  conditions  du  contrat  de 
filmaga. 

Las  axsmplairas  originaux  dont  la  couvarture  en 
papiar  est  imprimAa  sont  fllm<$  an  eommencant 
par  la  premier  plat  et  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
derniira  page  qui  comporta  una  ampreinte 
d'imprassion  ou  d'illustration,  soit  par  la  second 
piat.  salon  la  cas.  Tous  las  autras  exemplaires 
originaux  sont  fiim4s  an  commandant  par  la 
pramiira  page  qui  comporta  una  ampreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  darniAra  paga  qui  comporta  una  tails 
amprainta. 

Un  das  symboles  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
darniira  image  da  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbole  — ^  signifie  "A  SUIVRE".  le 
symboie  V  signifie  "FIN". 

Les  cartas,  planches,  tableaux,  etc..  peuvent  etre 
filmis  i  des  taux  de  reduction  diffirenis. 
Lorsqua  la  document  est  trop  grand  pour  etre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  clichi.  il  est  fitmi  i  partir 
da  Tangle  sopArieur  gauche,  de  gauche  i  droits, 
et  da  haut  en  bas.  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  n^cessaire.  Las  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  m^thode. 


1 


MICROCOPY  RESOIUTION  TEST  CHAIT 

(ANSI  and  ISO  TEST  CHART  No.  2) 


^   rjPPLIED  IM/1GE 

1653  East  Main  Street 
Rochester.  Ne.  York       14609  USA 
(716)  +82  -  0300  -  Phon. 
(718)  288  -  5989  -  Fax 


The  Natural  History  of 
The  Ten  Commandments 


SrnMt  TiM>m|iaon  Seton 


The 

Natural  History 

of  tiM 

Ten  CommandmentB 


The 

Natural  History 

of  the 

Ten  Commandmente 

By 

Ernest  Thompson  Seton 


■ 

V 

IV 

m 

l» 

It 

New  York 

Charles  Scribner*s  Sons 
MCNVII 


MUeatod  to 
TIm  BMMto  of  tlM  2told 
By  a  Huntor 


The  Ten  Commandments 


I.  Thou  shalt  have  no  other  gods  before  me. 

II.  Thou  shalt  not  make  unto  thee  any  graven  im- 
age, or  any  likeness  of  any  thing  that  is  in  heaven  above, 
or  that  is  in  the  earth  beneath,  or  that  is  in  the  water 
under  the  earth :  Thou  shalt  not  bow  down  thyself  to 
them,  nor  serve  them :  for  I  the  LORD  thy  God  am  a 
jealous  God,  visiting  the  iniquity  of  the  fathers  upon 
the  children  unto  the  third  and  fourth  generation  of 
them  that  hate  me;  And  shewing  mercy  unto  thou- 
sands of  them  that  love  me,  and  keep  my  command- 
ments. 

III.  Thou  shalt  not  talce  the  name  of  the  Lord  thy 
God  in  vain ;  for  the  Lord  will  not  hold  him  guiltless 
that  taketh  his  name  in  vain. 

IV.  Remember  the  sabbath  day  to  keep  it  holy. 
Six  days  shalt  thou  labour,  and  do  all  thy  work :  But 
the  seventh  day  is  the  sabbath  of  the  Lord  thy  God : 

in  it  thou  shalt  not  do  any  work,  thou,  nor  thy  son,  nor 
thy  daughter,  thy  manservant,  nor  thy  maidservant,  nor 
thy  cattle,  nor  thy  stranger  that  is  within  thy  gates : 
For  in  six  days  the  Lord  made  heaven  and  earth,  the 
sea,  and  all  that  in  them  is,  and  rested  the  seventh 
day:  wherefore  the  Lord  blessed  the  sabbath  day, 
and  hallowed  it. 

V.  Honour  thy  father  and  thy.  mother :  that  thy  days 
may  be  long  upon  the  land  which  the  LORD  thy  God 
giveth  thee. 

VI.  Thou  shalt  not  kill. 

VII.  Thou  shalt  not  commit  adultery. 

VIII.  Thou  shalt  not  steal. 

IX.  Thou  shalt  not  bear  false  witness  against  thy 
neighbour. 

X.  Thou  shalt  not  covet  thy  neighbour's  house,  thou 
shalt  not  covet  thy  neighbour's  wife,  nor  his  man- 
servant, nor  his  maidservant,  nor  his  ox,  nor  his  ass, 
nor  any  thing  that  is  thy  neighbour's. 


"\yfORE  than  one  heathen  phi- 
^^-^  losopher  conceived  creation 
as  a  tree  with  its  roots  in  the  nether 

world,  its  fruit  in  the  skies.  Had 
these  men  been  other  than  heathen, 
we  to-day  might  have  called  them 
inspired.  They  outlined  in  ad- 
vance the  view  of  modem  science, 
that  the  universe  is  an  organic 
whole,  a  thing  of  growth,  with 
ceaseless  upwaid  struggle. 

Darwin  and  his  school  taught  us 
the  literal  verity  of  this  in  material 
things. 

Modern  psychologists  are  daily 
discovering  its  truth  in  their  own 
helds. 

3 


THE  NATURAL  HISTORY  OF 

Possibly  we  may  go  further  and 
find  it  apply  equally  in  the  moral 
world. 

A  theory  is  a  great  aid  to  study. 

It  helps  one  to  observe,  provided 
always  one  does  not  cut  the  facts 
to  fit  the  theory,  but  rather  keeps 
changing  the  theory  to  fit  the  new 
facts. 

Years  ago  I  set  for  my  theory 
that :  The  Ten  Commandments  are 
not  arbitrary  laws  given  to  man, 
but  are  fundamevtal  laws  of  all 
highly  developed  latimals. 

If  this  be  true  I  shall  be  aole 
to  trace  them  through  the  animal 
world.  We  can  learn  an  unwrit- 
ten law  only  by  breaking  it  and 
suffering  the  penalty.    My  task 

4 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS 

therefore  was  to  discover  among 
the  animals  disaster  following 
breach  of  the  ten  great  principles 
on  which  human  society  is  founded. 

There  are  two  disasters  com- 
monly discernible:  the  first  is, 
direct  punishment  of  the  individ- 
ual by  those  he  wronged;  the 
other,  a  slow  and  general  visita- 
tion on  the  whole  race  of  the 
criminal,  as  the  working  out  of 
the  law.  The  former,  the  objec- 
tive, is  more  obvious;  the  latter, 
the  subjective,  more  important. 
But  they  are  fundamentally  the 
same,  since  the  agents  in  the  first 
case  were  impelled  by  their  own 
recognition  that  wrong  had  been 
done,  that  a  law  had  been  broken. 

5 


THE  NATURAL  HISTORY  OF 

Most  commentators  divide  the 

Commandments  into  two  groups : 
The  first  four  on  man's  duty  to 

a  Supreme  Being. 

The  last  six  on  man's  duty  to 

man. 

For  many  reasons  I  found  it 
better  to  take  the  latter  group 
first,  beginning  with  No.  V. 


6 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS 

V.  Against  Disobedience. 

The  law  which  imposes  unrea- 
soning acceptance  of  the  benefits 
derivable  from  the  experience  of 
those  over  us.  This  is  the  foun- 
dation of  all  government,  since 
the  family  is  the  social  unit.  Its 
force  everywhere  is  so  seen  that  it 
scarcely  needs  proo£ 

A  Hen  sets  out  with  her  Chick- 
ens a-foraging;  one  loiters,  does 
not  hasten  up  at  her  "  cluck  cluck  " 
of  invitation  and  command;  con- 
sequently he  gets  lost  and  dies. 

Another  neglects  to  run  to  the 
spot  when  she  calls  in  the  estab- 
lished way  that  she  has  found 

7 


THE  NATURAL  HISTORY  OF 

"good  food."  He  is  not  so  well 
nourished  as  the  others;  he  be- 
comes a  weakling,  and  in  the  first 
hard  pinch  he  is  the  one  that  fails 
— ^he  dies. 

Again,  she  may  call  out "  Hawk ! " 
and  run  for  shelter;  the  obedient 
ones  run  with  her,  and  are  safe; 
the  disobedient  loiter — and  die. 
They  pay  the  penalty,  their  days 
are  short  in  the  land. 

Yet  again:  A  Black-bear  in  the 
Cincinnati  Zoo  produced  a  family 
of  two  cubs  in  January,  1879. 
When  they  were  seventy-one  days 
old,  one  of  them  left  the  den  for 
the  first  time,  2md  followed  the 
mother  in  her  quest  for  food.  This 
in  a  wild  state  would  have  been  a 

8 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS 

fatal  mistake  for  the  young  one. 
"As  soon  as  the  mother  found  it 
out,"  says   Superintendent  F.  J. 
Thompson,  "she  immediately  drove 
it  gently  back,  and  on  the  second 
attempt  she  cuffed  it  soundly,  which 
put  a  stop  to  its  wp'idering  propen- 
sity.   After  a  few  days  she  allowed 
the  cubs  to  wander  about  at  will, 
provided  no  one  was  immediately 
in  front  of  the  den ;  but  so  soon  as 
a  visitor  put  in  an  appearance,  they 
were  driven  back  into  the  den, 
and  not  allowed  to  emerge  until 
the  strangers  were  out  of  sight." 

Under  natural  conditions  this 
maternal  rule  was  essential,  and  a 
breach  of  it  meant  death  to  the 
culprit 

9 


THB  NATURAL  HISTORY  OF 

When  a  mother  Deer  or  Ante- 
lope sights,  scents,  or  hears  dan- 
ger, she  quickly  communicates  her 
warning  to  her  young. 

How  it  is  done,  varies  greatly 
with  the  species;  some  bleat  or 
snort;  others  may  merely  spread 
the  disk  of  white  hair  around  the 
tail,  but  all  give  what  is  understood 
to  be  warning  of  danger.  The 
young  at  once  squat  in  the  grass, 
and  the  mother  goes  forth  to  baffle 
the  foe  as  best  she  may.  But  it 
is  essential  to  the  little  one  and 
to  the  race  that  the  warning  be 
acted  on  promptly  and  fully. 

This  action  on  the  part  of  the 
young  is  purely  instinctive — which 
m  ans  that  the  law  of  obedience 

lO 


THE  TEH  COMMANDMENTS 

has  been  a  long,  long  time  in  suc- 
cessful operation. 

It  would  be  easy  to  fill  a  vol- 
ume with  incidents  illustrating  this 
rule.  But  it  is  well  known  among 
all  naturalists  that  obedience  to 
parents  is  vital,  and  disobedience 
on  the  part  of  the  young  means 
injury  to  themselves,  and,  if  un- 
curbed, death  to  the  race. 


THE  NATURAL  HISTORY  OP 

VI.  AgAinst  Miird«r. 

That  is,  against  taking  the  life  of 
one  of  our  own  species.  There  is 
a  deep-rooted  feeling  against  mur- 
der in  most  animals.  Their  senses 
tell  them  that  this  individual  is  one 
of  their  own  race,  and  their  instinct 
tells  them  that  therefore  it  is  not 
lawful  prey. 

New-bom  Rattlesnakes  will  strike 
instantly  at  a  stranger  of  any  other 
species,  but  never  at  one  of  their 
own.  I  have  seen  a  young  Mink, 
still  blind,  suck  at  a  mother  Cat 
till  fed,  then  try  to  take  her  life. 
Though  a  creature  of  such  blood- 
thirst,  it  would  never  have  attacked 
its  own  mother. 


THl  TIN  COMMANDMENTS 

Wild  animals  often  fight  for  the 
mastery,  usually  over  a  question 
of  mates,  but  in  practically  all  cases 
the  fight  is  over  when  one  yields. 
The  vanquished  can  save  himself 
either  by  submission  or  by  flight. 
What  is  commoner  than  to  see  the 
weaker  of  two  D<^  disarm  his  con- 
queror by  grovelling  on  the  ground? 

The  victor  in  a  fight  between 
two  Cats  is  satisfied  when  the  foe 
flies;  he  will  not  pursue  him 
twenty  yards.  In  either  case  had 
the  enemy  been  of  a  different  race 
the  victor  would  have  followed  and 
killed  him. 

What  makes  the  difference? 
Obviously  not  a  reasoned  -  out 
conclusion,  but  a  deep  instinctive 

13 


THE  NATURAL  HISTORY  OF 

feeling — the  recognition  of  the  un- 
written law  against  unnecessarily 
killing  one's  own  kind. 

There  are  doubtless  exceptions 
to  this.    Cannibalism  is  recorded 
of  many  species;  but  investiga- 
tion shows  that  it  is  rare  except 
in  the  lowest  forms,  and  among 
creatures  demoralized  by  domesti- 
cation or  captivity.    The  higher 
the  animals  are,  the  more  repug- 
nant does  cannibalism  become.  It 
is  seldom  indulged  in  except  un- 
der dire  stress  of  famine.  Noth- 
ing but  actual  starvation  induced 
Nansen's  Dogs  to  eat  the  flesh  of 
their  comrades,  although  it  was  of- 
fered to  them  in  a  disguised  form. 
Numberless   experiences  showed 

H 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS 

me  that  it  is  useless  to  bait  a 
Wolf-trap  with  a  part  of  a  dead 
Wolf.  His  kinsmen  shun  it  in  dis- 
gust, unless  absolutely  famished. 

Obviously,  no  race  can  live  by 
cannibalism;  and  this  is  instinc- 
tively recognized  by  all  the  higher 
animals.  In  other  words,  the  law 
against  murder  has  been  ham- 
mered into  animals  by  natiual  se- 
lection, and  so  fully  established 
that  they  will  not  only  abstain  from 
preying  on  one  of  their  own  tribe, 
but  will  rally  to  rescue  one  whose 
life  is  threatened. 

The  fact  that  there  are  excep- 
tional cases  does  not  disprove 
the  law  among  beasts  any  more 
than  among  men. 

15 


i 


THE  NATURAL  HISTORY  OF 


VII.  Against  Impurity. 

Although  on  the  face  of  it  di- 
rected against  the  grossest  form 
of  misapplied  reproductive  instinct, 
most  commentators  agree  that  it 
is  meant  to  cherish  the  general 
principle  of  purity. 

Of  what  service  is  such  a  gen- 
eral principle  to  the  race  ?  A  re- 
view of  many  creatures  and  their 
marriage  customs  shows  that  from 
the  beginning  they  have  been  grop- 
ing for  an  ideal  form  of  marriage. 

Promiscuity  was  doubtless  the 
mode  when  first  sex  appeared  in 
the  animal  world.  It  had  the  great 
advantage  that  it  insures  all  find- 

i6 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS 

ing  mates  with  whom  fruitful  union 
is  possible.  But  it  has  several  dis- 
advantages, the  most  obvious  be- 
ing that  unlimited  personal  con- 
tact opens  the  way  for  epidemic 
diseases  of  all  sorts.  The  l^^ss 
personal  contact,  the  less  disease. 

The  promiscuous  animals  to-day 
— ^the  Northwestern  Rabbit  and  the 
Voles — are  high  in  the  scale  of  fe- 
cundity, low  in  the  scale  of  general 
development,  and  are  periodically 
scourged  by  epidemic  plagues. 

The  Chinaman  who  reduces  per- 
sonal contact  to  a  minimum  by  re- 
fraining even  from  shaking  the  hand 
of  a  friend,  has  gone  to  the  extreme, 
and  without  doubt  has  had  his  re- 
ward. 


THE  NATURAL  HISTORY  OF 

Another  danger  from  this  lawless 
reproduction  is  the  evil  called  "  in- 
breeding," that  is,  the  mating  of 
near  kin. 

Promiscuity  has  been  displaced 
by  polyandry  and  polygamy,  among 
certain  animals.  That  the  former 
has  not  been  a  success  is  shown  by 
the  fact  that  it  is  very  rare  among 
the  higher  kinds,  and  practised  only 
under  exceptional  circumstances. 

The  few  cases  I  can  find  are  the 
European  Cuckoo,  and,  possibly,  the 
American  Cowbirds.  The  extraor- 
dinary, hazardous  and  dishonest 
methods  these  are  driven  to  for 
support  c  ""  their  young  are  well 
known. 

The  fact  that  these  species  are 
i8 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS 

healthy  and  prospering  is  a  puzzle 
to  me.  Nevertheless  it  must  be 
observed  that  their  parasitism  is  on 
the  other  races,  not  on  their  own 
kind. 

Polygamy  seems  much  more  sat- 
isfactory:  there  are  hundreds  of  spe- 
cies of  polygamous  animals  in  the  * 
world  to-day  that  are  prospering 
and  growing  with  the  world's 
growth. 

On  the  face  of  it,  polygamy  might 
seem  to  be  good,  because  it  makes 
it  possible  for  only  the  finest  males 
to  breed,  and  insures  for  them  the 

greatest  possible  number  of  off- 
spring. 

This  sounds  convincing,  but  some 
unexpected  light  has  been  shed  by 

19 


THE  NATURAL  HISTORY  OP 

Caton's  observation  among  the  Wa- 
piti, the  most  polygamous  of  all  our 
Deer. 

Referring  to  Sultan,  the  great  bull 
Wapiti  that  for  a  longer  time  than 
any  other  was  the  monarch  of  the 
herd  in  his  park,  he  says:* 

'  At  first  his  progeny  were  rea- 
sonably numerous,  but  during  the 
last  few  years  of  his  life  they  grad- 
ually diminished  from  a  dozen  to 
a  single  fawn  in  1875,  with  about 
twenty-five  [females,  more  than  half 
of  which  had  previously  produced 
fawns."    He  was  removed,  though 
yet  able  to  hold  the  harem  by  force, 
and  replaced  by  a  younger  buck; 
"the  result  was  that  I  had  twelve 

*  Antelope  and  Deer  of  America,  pp.  394-5. 
20 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS 

fawns  the  next  season,  including 
one  pair  of  twins."  It  is  prob?ble 
that  a  far  better  result  would  have 
been  secured  had  each  female  been 
paired  off  with  a  single  male. 

As  the  Wapiti  is  the  most  polyg- 
amous of  the  Deer  in  America,  prob- 
ably in  the  world,  it  is  interesting 
to  note  that  it  is  the  first  of  the 
family  to  disappear  before  civiliza- 
tion. This  may  be  due  in  part  to 
its  size ;  but  it  is  further  remarkable 
that  the  most  successful  of  all  our 
true  Deer,  that  is,  the  common 
White-tail,  is  the  least  polygamous. 

There  is  at  least  one  strong 
and  obvious  objection  to  polygamy 
among  animals:  the  offspring  of 
such  union  have  but  one  parent  to 

21 


THE  NATURAL  HISTORY  OF 

care  for  them,  and  the  weaker  one 
at  that 

It  is  commonly  remarked  that 
while  the  Mosaic  law  did  not  ex- 
pressly forbid  polygamy,  it  sur- 
rounded marriage  with  so  many 
restrictions  that  by  living  up  to  the 
spirit  of  them  the  Hebrew  was  ulti- 
mately forced  into  pure  monogamy. 

It  is  extremely  interesting  to  note 
that  the  animals  in  their  blind  grop- 
ing for  an  ideal  form  of  union  have 
gone  through  the  same  stages  and 
have  arrived  at  exactly  the  same 
conclusion.  Monogamy  is  then* 
best  solution  of  the  marriage  ques- 
tion, and  is  the  rule  among  all  the 
highest  and  most  successful  ani- 
mals. 

22 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS 

There  are  four  degrees  of  mo- 
nogamy : 

One,  in  which  the  male  stays 
with  one  female  as  long  as  she 
interests  him  or  desires  a  mate, 
then  changes  to  another;  for  his 
season  may  be  many  times  as  long 
as  hers.  Thus  he  may  have  sev- 
eral wives  in  the  season,  but  only 
one  at  a  time.  is  convenient 

for  both  parties,  ,i  it  is  open 
to  the  same  objection  as  frank 
polygamy.  It  is  the  way  of  the 
Moose. 

A  second  kind,  in  which  the 
male  and  one  female  are  paired 
for  that  breeding  season  only,  the 
male  staying  with  the  family,  and 
sharing  the  care  of  the  young  till 

23 


THE  NATURAL  HISTORY  OF 

they  are  well  grown ;  after  which 
the  parents  may  or  may  not  re- 
sume their  fellowship.  This  is 
admirable.    It  is  seen  in  Hawks. 

A  third,  in  which  the  pair  con- 
sort for  life,  but  the  death  of  one 
leaves  the  other  free  to  mate  again. 
This  is  ideal.  It  is  the  way  of 
Wolves. 

A  fourth,  in  which  they  pair  for 
life,  and  in  case  of  death  the  sur- 
vivor remains  disconsolate  and 
alone  to  the  end.  This  seems  ab- 
surd. It  is  the  way  of  the  wild 
Geese. 

Upon  the  whole  we  find  the  ani- 
mals succeeding,  that  is,  avoiding 
disease  and  holding  their  own, 
spreading,  and  high  in  the  scale, 

24 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS 

in  proportion  as  they  approach  the 
ideal  union  * 

I  confess,  however,  that  monoga- 
my in  the  fourth  degree  puzzles  me. 

In  making  observations,  one  is 
hampered  by  the  feet  that  associa- 
tion with  man  has  always  been  ruin- 
ous to  the  morals  of  animals. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the 
Dog,  now  so  promiscuous,  was 
originally  a  monogamous  creature. 
One  of  the  great  difficulties  be- 
setting the  growing  of  Blue-foxv.s 
for  th-ir  fur,  on  the  islands  of  the 
Behring  Sea,  is  what  has  been 

•Dr.  Woods  Hutchinson  in  "Animal  Mar- 
riage "  has  pointed  out  that  other  things  being 
equal,  a  monogamous  race  will  beat  a  polyga- 
mous c  .e  in  the  long  run. 


25 


i! 


THE  NATURAL  HISTORY  OF 

called  the  obstinate  and  deplorable 
monogamy  of  those  animals.  The 
breeders  are  working  hard  to  break 
down  this  high  moral  sentiment  and 
produce  a  Blue-fox  that  does  not 
object  to  polygamy,  promiscuity,  or 
any  other  combination,  and  so  re- 
move all  sentimental  obstacles  to 
theur  experiments. 

The  wild  Goose  is  a  most  ex- 
emplary bird;  the  tame  Goose  is 
little  better  than  the  Dog.  Of 
Rabbits,  wild  or  tame,  the  less  said 
the  better. 

There  is,  however,  one  domestic 
bird  that  maintains  its  honorable 
wild  tradition  in  spite  of  all  that 
sinful  man  can  do  ;  that  is  the 
Pigeon.    The  breeder  knows  that 

26 


THl  TIN  CUMMANDMINTS 

the  young  in  a  given  nest  are  un- 
questionably the  offspring  of  their 
alleged  parents,  no  matter  how 
many  hundreds  of  their  kind  may 
freely  fly  with  them  all  day. 

What  wonder  that  Gadow,  the 
distinguished  ornithologist,  should 
proclaim  the  Pigeons  the  birds  of 
the  future,  implying  that  when, 
under  the  relentless  unwritten  laws, 
all  other  species  shall  have  paid  the 
penalty  and  run  themselves  out,  the 
Pigeons  will  be  happily  possessing 
the,  earth. 

Similarly  the  most  successful  wild 
quadrupeds  in  American  to-day  are 
the  Gray-wolves.  Not  only  have 
they  through  strict  monogamy 
eliminated  much  possibility  of  dis- 

27 


THE  NATURAL  HISTORY  OF 

ease,  and  given  their  young  the  ad- 
vantage of  two  wise  protectors,  but 
they  have  even  developed  a  spirit 
of  chivalry;  that  is,  the  male  shows 
consideration  for  the  female  in  the 
non-mating  season  on  account  of 
her  sex.  This  is  very  high  in  the 
scale.  And  one  result,  at  least 
partly  due  to  these  things,  is  that 
the  Wolves  defy  all  attempts  to  ex- 
terminate them,  and  are  increasing 
to-day  in  exact  ratio  to  the  im- 
proved food  supplies  for  which  the 
settlers  are  responsible. 

The  proverbial  exceptions  un- 
doubtedly occur,  and  they  have 
their  value  as  proof,  not  disproof. 

Immorality  in  its  broadest  sense 
may  be  defined  as  the  deflection  of 

28 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS 

any  natural  power,  member,  or  in- 
stinct from  its  proper  purpose  to 
one  that  works  harm  for  the  sj:  cies. 

Among  animals  we  have  ecorded 
nearly  every  kind  of  abomin  ibie  vice 
that  was  known  among  men,  and 
forbidden  by  the  Mosaic  law. 

In  captivity  and  domestication 
we  see  such  things  all  too  often, 
but  rarely  in  a  state  of  nature,  partly 
because  the  cases  are  scarce  and 
difficult  to  observe,  and  partly  be- 
cause the  creatures  of  vice  soon 
destroy  themselves;  they  pay  the 
extreme  penalty. 

Incest  is  admittedly  forbidden  by 
the  spirit  of  this  ordinance.  The 
numberless  contrivances  among 
plants  to  prevent  any  but  cross- 

29 


THE  NATURAL  HISTORY  OF 

fertilization,  evidence  the  impor- 
tance of  preventing  the  marriage  of 
near  kin.  Among  higher  animals, 
strange  to  tell,  observation  of  this 
law  is  not  so  marked,  probably 
because  their  safeguard  is  not  a 
mechanism,  but  a  sentiment,  which 
suffers  in  domestication  and  in  cap- 
tivity.   It  seems  to  exist,  however. 

Mr.  L.  H.  Ohnimus,  for  years 
the  director  of  Woodward's  Garden 
Menagerie  at  San  Francisco,  told 
me  that  often  among  higher  ani- 
mals they  had  great  difficulty  in 
mating  brother  and  sister  that  were 
brought  up  together.  The  friendly 
feeling  commonly  overpowered  the 
sex  instinct.  If,  however,  the  pair 
were  separated  long  enough  to  be 

30 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS 

brought  together  as  practically 
strangers  of  opposite  sexes,  the 
diff  culty  disappeared. 

But  the  penalty  must  be  paid. 
The  resultant  young  in  most  cases 
are  feeble  creatures,  tending  to  die 
out  in  a  generation  or  two,  that  is, 
paying  with  their  death  for  the  sin 
of  their  parents.  This  is  physical 
law,  and  the  fact  that  it  was  unwit- 
ting sin  does  not  in  any  degree  ab- 
solve the  sinners  from  the  conse- 
quences. 

To  sum  up:  There  is  evidence 
that  in  the  animal  world  there  has 
long  been  a  groping  after  an  ideal 
form  of  marriage.  Beginning  with 
promiscuity,  they  have  worked 
through  many  stages  into  pure 

31 


THE  NATURAL  HISTORY  OF 

monogamy;  and,  other  things  being 
equal,  the  species,  owing  to  natural 
laws,  are  successful  in  proportion  as 
they  have  reached  it,  and  therefore 
have  developed  an  instinctive  rec- 
ognition of  the  seventh  command- 
ment 


32 


THE  TEN  COMMAnAmENTS 


VIII.  AgAinst  Stealing. 

The  whole  property  question  is 
in  this,  and  the  high  development 
of  the  property  idea  among  animals 
must  be  a  surprise  to  all  who  have 
not  studied  it.  This  is  the  animal 
law: 

The  producer  owns  the  product; 
unproduced  property  belongs  to  the 
first  who  discovers  and  possesses  it. 

Numberless  instances  in  proof 
will  occur  to  every  naturalist.  Prop- 
erty among  animals  consists  of  food, 
nest,  playground,  range,  and  wives. 
Ownership  is  indicated  in  two  ways : 
one  by  actual  possession,  the  other 
by  ownership  marks.  Of  these  there 

33 


THE  NATURAL  HISTORY  OF 

are  two  kinds,  smell  marks  and  visi- 
ble marks ;  by  far  the  more  impor- 
tant are  those  of  smell. 

I  once  threw  peanuts  for  an  hour 
to  the  Fox-squirrels  in  City  Hall 
Park,  Madison,  Wisconsin.  In  each 
case,  the  peanut,  when  thrown,  was 
no  one's  property.    All  the  near 
Squirrels  rushed  for  it;  the  first  one 
to  get  it  securely  in  his  mouth  was 
admittedly  the  owner;  his  claim 
was  never  questioned  after  a  few 
seconds'  actual  possession.   If  hun- 
gry he  ate  it  at  once;  otherwise  his 
first  act  was  to  turn  it  round  in  his 
mouth  three  or  four  times,  as  he 
licked  it,  marking  it  with  his  own 
smell,  before  burying  it  for  future 
use. 


34 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS 

This  is  paralleled  in  many  tribes 
of  men.  Eskimo  of  Davis  Strait, 
according  to  Franklin,  lick  each 
new  acquisition  by  way  of  taking 
possession.  Sailors  commonly  spit 
on  a  new-got  article,  and  boys,  in 
the  north  of  England  at  least,  in- 
dicate the  beginning  of  their  own- 
ership in  the  same  way.  Many 
animals,  as  Rabbits  and  Bears,  rub 
their  bodies  against  trees  in  their 
range,  to  let  other  animals  know 
that  this  place  is  already  pos- 
sessed. Some  creatures,  as  the 
Weasels,  have  glands  that  secrete 
an  odor  which  they  use  for  an 
owner-mark.  As  this  odor  must 
vary  with  each  individual  it  an- 
swers  admirably.    I  have  seen 

35 


THE  NATURAL  HISTORY  OF 

Martens,  Wolves,  and  Foxes  mark- 
ing their  property  in  this  way. 
The  Wolverine  is  commonly  de- 
scribed as  a  monster  of  iniquity, 
that  not  only  lugs  off  and  hides 
the  hunter's  food,  but  defiles  it 
with  his  abominable  secretion,  so 
that  it  is  useless  to  the  original 
owner.     It  is  quite  certain  that 
malice  of  this  kind  is  unusual; 
although  Dogs  and  Wolves,  high 
in  mental  development,  have  been 
observed  to  show  scorn  in  this 
manner.    The  Wolverine  eats  what 
he  can  of  the  trapper's  hoard,  and 
hides  the  rest  for  future  use,  after 
taking  care  to  mark  it  with  his  own- 
ership smell-mark. 

Foxes  and  Wolves  are  known  to 
36 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS 

Store  up  food,  and  after  it  is  buried 
they  defile  the  place  in  a  charac- 
teristic way.  Many  harsh  terms 
are  applied  to  this  practice.  It  is, 
or  was  formerly,  ascribed  to  the 
inherent  and  abominable  filthiness 
of  all  creation  unregenerated  in 
the  particular  manner  specially 
advocated  by  the  then  critic.  The 
fact  is  that  the  odor  glands  of  the 
Fox  and  Wolf  are  so  situated  that 
their  product  is  given  out  with 
the  product  of  the  kidneys.  They 
do  this,  then,  merely  to  put  their 
mark  on  their  cache. 

Thus  they  have  the  property  in- 
st  ict  in  high  development 

In  the  August  of  1906,  at  Pe- 
toskey,  Mich.,  I  made  the  ac- 

37 


THE  NATURAL  HISTORY  OF 

quaintance  of  a  team  of  Eskimo 
train  Dogs  — they  were  seven- 
eighths  Wolf,  and  showed  all  the 
wild  traits  in  force.    The  leader, 
a  big  savage  creature,  was  easily 
master  of  the  others.    I  gave  the 
smallest  one  a  bone  after  he  was 
already  fed.   True  to  the  wild  in- 
stinct of  his  kind,  he  set  off  to  hide 
this  for  future  use.    The  bone  was 
buried  under  •  cedar  bush  some 
hundred  yards  away,  and  the  place 
marked  in  Dog  fashion.  The  owner 
then  retired  about  fift>  yards  to  a 
shady  spot,  where  he  could  see  his 
cache,  and  lay  down. 

The  biggest  Dog  of  all  saw  the 
hiding  of  the  bone,  but  did  not 
see  the  watcher.    He  walked  qui- 

38 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS 

etiy  to  the  cache.  When  within 
twenty  feet,  there  could  no  lon^^er 
be  any  doubt  of  his  purpose ;  the 
smaller  Dog  rushed  from  his  cov- 
ert and  stood  guard  over  his  prop- 
erty, showing  his  teeth  and  clear- 
ly intimating  that  only  over  his 
dead  body  could  the  bully  take 
his  property.  The  big  Dog,  though 
he  could  have  whipped  the  smaller 
in  a  minute,  turned  slowly  and  sul- 
lenly away,  as  though  he  knew  his 
cause  was  weak. 

What  is  the  psychology  of  this 
situation?  (And  it  was  purely 
psychological.) 

Can  any  one  deny  that  the  little 
Dog  felt  that  he  was  right,  the  big 
Dog  that  he  was  wrong  ?  In  other 

39 


THE  NATURAL  HlliTORY  OF 

words,  they  recognized  the  law  of 
property,  and  that  stealing  was 
crime. 

Many  instances  of  this  kind 
could  be  adduced.  The  principle 
is  very  old,  and  has,  indeed,  given 
rise  to  several  proverbs:  "Any 
cock  will  fight  on  his  own  dung- 
hill " ;  "  He  is  a  poor  thing  that 
won't  fight  for  his  own  " ;  "  Thrice 
is  he  armed  that  hath  his  quarrel 
just,"  etc. 

For  how  long  are  these  caches 
made  ?  In  the  case  of  domesticated 
Wolves  they  are  opened  and  the 
contents  eaten  within  a  few  hours 
or  days  at  most  But  I  found  it 
the  opinion  of  hunters,  that  among 
the  truly  wild  animals  the  cache 

40 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS 

is  made  in  time  of  plenty  for  a  sea- 
son of  starvation,  maybe  months 
ahead. 

There  is  good  reason  for  believ- 
ing, however,  that  the  Wolf,  Coy- 
ote and  Fox  have  no  compunction 
about  stealing  from  each  other.  I 

found  it  a  most  alluring  bait,  if  I 
buried  a  piece  of  meal,  that  is, 
formed  a  cache,  and  either  made  it 
fair  game  for  Wolves  by  pattering 
the  ground  with  an  old  Coyote 
foot,  or  leaving  it  with  man  tracks 
only  around.  Whether  pattering 
it  with  a  Wolfs  foot  would  make 
other  Wolves  respect  it,  I  am  not 
prepared  to  say. 

The  food  idea  is  probably  the 
first  property  idea.    Ownership  of 

41  . 


THE  NATURAL  HISTORY  OF 

the  home-place  came  later,  but  is 
now  deeply  rooted. 

Many  cases  in  line  have  been  re- 
ported to  me  from  among  rookeries 
in  England.  Rooks  are  ordinarily 
moral  birds.  A  stick  found  in  the 
woods  is  the  property  of  the  Rook 
that  discovers  it,  and  doubly  his 
when  he  has  labored  to  bring  it  to 
his  nest.  This  is  recognized  law. 
Nevertheless  there  are  degenerates 
or  thieves  that  think  it  easier  to 
steal  sticks  from  their  neighbor's 
nest  than  to  fetch  them  from  afar. 
The  result  is  war. 

In  the  autumn  I  put  up  opposite 
my  window  an  artificial  shelter  hole 
for  birds.  A  Flying-squirrel  used 
it  for  a  nest    In  the  spring  I  sev- 

42 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS 

eral  times  saw  a  pair  of  Chickadees 
peeping  into  the  hole,  ct  noting 
the  nesting  material,  the  evidence  of 
a  possessor,  they  withdrew  without 
entering.  If  they  knew  that  the 
occupant  was  a  Squirrel,  fear  may 
have  kept  them  back,  and  the  inci- 
dent means  nothing;  but  all  they 
could  see  were  some  shreds  of  bark 
which  might  have  represented  the 
nest  of  another  Chickadee,  in  which 
case  they  were  restrained  by  the 
unwritten  law. 

To  get  without  labor  is  theft; 
and  the  thief  and  his  children 
must  be  the  sufferers  in  the  end.  . 

How  does  this  work  out  in  our 
animal  world  ? 

The  Squirrel  that  will  not  store 
43 


THE  NATURAL  HISTORY  OF 

must  starve  or  steal  in  winter.  If 
he  escapes  being  killed  by  his  hon- 
est neighbors,  the  vice  of  stealing 
will  spread,  so  that  it  will  no  longer 
be  worth  while  to  store  up  for 
winter,  and  the  habit  will  be  aban- 
doned. 

We  must  remember  that  the 
lives  of  animals  are  in  a  delicate 
balance;  at  times  a  featherweight 
easily  turns  the  scales  against  them. 
A  single  hard  winter  among  Squir- 
rels that  had  been  forced  to  aban- 
don storage,  might  wipe  out  the 
whole  race. 

So  also  among  Rooks.  The  thief 
taken  red-handed  may  suffer  griev- 
ous bodily  punishment,  or  even 
death ;  this  is  the  objective  retribu- 

44 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS 

tion.  But  the  subjective  is  farther 
reaching,  for  a  spread  of  the  vice 
would  prove  ruinous  to  all  the  nests, 
and  tend  to  exterminate  the  race. 

Out  of  the  food-property  instinct 
has  grown  the  territory-property 
instinct.  Bears,  Martens,  Foxes, 
Wolves,  and  many  other  species 
mark  their  range  by  putting  their 
signs  on  trees,  stones,  etc,  scattered 
over  the  region  claimed. 

Bears  not  only  rub  their  backs 
on  the  trees,  but  claw  them  and 
tear  them  with  their  teeth.  These 
things  are  familiar  to  all  who  have 
lived  among  Bears.  The  visible 
marks  may  appeal  to  the  eyes  of 
another  Bear  when  he  is  far  off,  but 
the  smell  record  is,  I  take  it,  of  chief 

45 


THE  NATURAL  HISTORY  OF 

importance,  and  is  the  only  one  used 
by  Wolves  and  Foxes. 

These  are  the  marks  of  ownership: 
to  what  extent  are  they  respected  ? 

It  is  well  known  that  each  wild 
animal  has  a  little  home  region  or 
range  that  he  considers  his,  and  for 
which  he  will  fight.  But  it  is  not 
so  well  known  that  others  of  his 
kind  will  respect  his  claim  without 
any  fight,  without  anything,  appar- 
ently, but  the  little  sign-boards  or 
smell-marks  already  noted.  Dr.  F. 
W.  True,  writing  of  the  Blue-foxes 
on  the  islands  of  the  Behring  Sea 
and  their  tameness,  says  one  of 
them  will  follow  a  man  for  a  long 
way,  apparently  hoping  to  be  fed, 
will  follow  indeed  "to  the  bound- 

46 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS 

ary  of  his  domain,  for  each  Fox, 
like  his  neighbor,  the  bull  Seal, 
seems  to  have  a  definite  territory 
.  .  .  which  he  regards  as  his  own, 
and  upon  which  he  resents  in- 
trusion." * 

From  these  examples  it  will  be 
seen  that  the  operation  of  natural 
laws  has  produced  in  the  animals 
ideas  of  property  rights  in  materials 
and  in  places,  and  means  of  putting 
those  rights  on  record.  That  is, 
has  tended  to  give  ever-growing 
force  to  the  law  against  stealing. 

*  Fox  Propagation  in  Alaska,  Rep.  Sec  Int., 
1903,  p.  80. 


47 


THE  NATURAL  HISTORY  OF 


IX.  Against  False  Witness. 

Although  the  commandment  for- 
bids especially  false  witness  against 
a  neighbor,  it  is  generally  consid- 
ered to  have  a  broader  meaning — 
to  prohibit  any  falsification. 

In  Fox-hunting  the  character  ot 
every  Hound  becomes  well  known, 
not  only  to  the  men,  but  to  the 
Hounds  themselves.  When  they  are 
scattered  for  a  "find, "  each  Hound 
does  his  individual  best  and  is  keen 
to  be  first.  Oftentimes  a  very  young 
Hound  will  jump  at  a  conclusion, 
think,  or  hope,  he  has  the  trail,  then 
allowing  his  enthusiasm  to  carry  him 
away,  give  the  first  tongue,  shout- 

48 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS 

ing  in  Hound  language,  "Trail!" 
The  other  Hounds  run  to4his,  but  if 
a  careful  examination  shows  that  he 
was  wrong,  the  announcer  suffers  in 
the  opinion  of  the  pack,  and  after  a 
few  such  blunders,  that  individual 
is  entirely  discredited.  Thenceforth 
he  may  bawl  "Traill"  as  often  as 
he  likes,  no  one  heeds  him. 

The  spread  of  such  a  habit  of  false 
witness  would  be  disastrous  to  the 
whole  race  of  Dogs  in  a  wild  state. 
They  would  discredit  each  other. 
All  the  enormous  benefits  derivable 
from  collaboration  would  be  lost  to 
them ;  and  since  it  takes  but  a  little 
thing  long  continued  in  the  struggle 
for  life  to  work  great  changes,  it  is 
easily  conceivable  that  this  vice  of 

49 


THE  NATURAL  HISTORY  OF 

lying  might  exterminate  the  race 
that  became  addicted  to  it. 

The  wild  animals  no  doubt  afford 
safer  instances,  but  they  are  so  dif- 
ficult of  observation  that  few  arc  at 
hand.  One  of  the  most  remarkable 
cases  in  point  is  among  Wolves.  I 
do  not  know  that  the  incident  is 
true,  but  it  sounds  true,  and  there 
is  no  inherent  reason  why  it  should 
not  be  so.  The  story  appeared  in 
the  "Leisure  Hour"  in  the  volume 
of  1892-3,  and  was  written  by 
E.  L.  Hickey. 

It  was  many  and  many  a  league  away 
from  the  place  where  now  we  are, 

And  many  a  year  ago  it  happ'ed  in  the 
land  of  the  Great  White  Czar. 

50 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS 

It  was  mom— I  remember  how  cold  it 

felt— out  under  a  low  pale  sky, 
When  we  moored  our  boat  on  the  river 

bank,  my  companion  Leigh  and  I. 
And  the  plunge  in  the  water  unwarmed 

of  the  sun  was  less  for  desire  than 

pluck, 

And  wc  hurried  on  our  clothes  again 
and  longed  for  our  breakfast  luck  ; 

When  all  of  a  sudden  he  clutched  my 
arm  and  pointed  across,  and  there 

Wc  stood  up  side  by  side  and  watched, 
and  as  mute  as  the  dead  wc  were. 

We  saw  the  gray-wolf's  fateful  spring, 

and  we  saw  the  death  of  the  deer. 
And  the  gray-wolf  left  the  body  alone, 

and  swift  as  the  feet  of  fear 
His  feet  sped  over  the  brow  of  the  hill, 

and  we  lost  the  sight  of  him 
Who  had  left  the  dead  deer  there  on  the 

ground  uneaten,  body  or  limb. 
5» 


THE  NATURAL  HISTOHV  OF 

So  when  he  vanished  out  of  our  sight 

we  rowed  our  boat  across, 
And  lifted  the  carcass  and  rowed  again 

to  the  other  side.    The  loss 
For  you,  good  Master  Wolf,  much  more 

than  the  gain  for  us  will  be. 
'T  were  half  a  pity  to  spoil  your  sport, 

except  that  we  fain  would  see 
The  reason  why  with  hunger  unstanched 

you  have  left  your  quarry  behind ; 
Red-toothed,  red-mawed,  foregone  your 

meal;  Sir  Wolf,  we'll  know  your 

mind. 

Hungry  and  cold  we  waited  and  watched 

to  see  him  return  on  his  track  ; 
At  last  we  spied  him  atop  of  the  hill, 

the  same  gray-wolf  come  back. 
No  longer  alone,  but  a  leader  of  wolves, 

the  head  of  a  grewsome  pack. 
He  went  right  up  to  the  very  place 

where  the  dead  deer's  body  had  lain, 

52 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS 

And  he  sniffed  and  looked  for  the  prey 
of  his  claws,  the  beast  that  himself 

had  slain. 

The  deer  at  our  feet  and  the  river  be- 
tween and  the  searching  all  in  vain. 
He  threw  up  his 'muzzle  and  slunk  his 

tail  and  whined  so  pitifully, 
And  the  whole  pack  howled  and  fell  on 
him — ^we  hardly  could  bear  to  see. 
Breaker  of  civic  law,  or  pact,  or  what- 
ever they  deemed  of  him, 
He  knew  his  fate  and  he  met  his  fate, 
for  they  tore  him  limb  from  limb. 

I  tell  you  we  felt  as  we  ne'er  felt  since 

ever  our  days  began — 
Less  like  men  that  had  cozened  a  brute 

than  men  that  had  murdered  a  man. 

This,  of  course,  was  a  tragic  mis- 
carriage of  justice,  but  the  ^  'inci- 

53 


THE  NATURAL  HISTOKY  OF 

pie  is  well  known.  All  the  high- 
er animals  profit  by  each  other's 
knowledge  through  methods  of 
intercommunication.  Falsification 
would  certainly  work  dire  disaster. 


54 


THE  TKtr  COMMAlfDIIKNT^ 


X.  Against  Coveting. 

Tkc  broad  principle  of  this  com- 
mandment is  ag:  Inst  u  duiv  han- 

kerin;^  t  r  a  lu-  ^  ibor  pi 
against  schenung    to    lispi.  ^  s*> 
him. 

A  remarkable  ^^-t  ha^  ocor  ^ 
many  times  of  latt  m  tN>  coimtry 
around  Yellowstone  Pa  .  It  may 
have  pre    nt  ai  nlicatic  \, 

A  banci  of  apiti  d  :ing  south- 
ward to  their  wir  e,  cane 
on  iie  haystack  c  pknitzcr.  It 
was>  sn  fenced  in  tucy  could 
nos  t  "  IT,  >ut  iL  smt  It  so  de- 
sira.  th.  f  ui  brnd  lingered 
about  It  lopmg         time  to  get 

5 


THE  NATURAL  HISTORY  OF 

possession.  Thus  the  days  passed, 
the  Deer  grew  weaker,  winter  came 
down,  and  the  whole  band  per- 
ished ;  whereas,  had  they  moved 
on  or  worked  to  find  their  proper 
food  they  would,  as  often  before, 
have  come  safely  through  to  the 
spring. 

In  this  case  I  am  by  no  means 
sure  of  the  principle  involved,  and 
cite  the  incideni:  with  much  hesi- 
tancy. A  weak  spot  in  the  illus- 
tration is  the  circumstance  that  the 
possessor  of  the  stack  was  not  an- 
other Elk. 

A  more  nearly  pertinent  circum- 
stance was  recently  told  me  by  a 
friend.* 

*  Mr.  H.  Dallu,  of  Morristown,  Ohio. 
56 


THE  TEN  COM  lANDMENTS 

Under  the  barn  eaves  at  his 
home  a  colony  of  Swallows  had 
for  long  been  established.  In  the 
spring  of  1885  a  pair  of  Bluebirds 
came  and  took  forcible  possession 
of  one  of  the  nests.  The  owners 
first  tried  to  oust  the  invaders, 
next  the  whole  Swallow  colony 
joined  in  the  attempt,  without  suc- 
cess. The  Bluebird  inside  was  en- 
trenched behind  hard  mud  walls, 
and  defied  them.  At  length  the 
Swallows  came  in  a  body,  each 
with  a  pellet  of  mud,  and  walled 
up  the  entrance  to  the  nest.  The 
Bluebird  in  possession  starved  to 
death,  and  was  found  there  ten 
days  later. 

In  this  case  the  retribution  came 
57 


THE  NATURAL  HISTORY  OF 

direct  from  the  Swallows,  in  obedi- 
ence to  the  inner  impulse.  But  it 
is  clear  that  Bluebirds  adopting 
habitually  these  methods  of  nest- 
ing would  become  parasites  de- 
pendent on  the  Swallows ;  this  ad- 
ditional burden  might  easily  turn 
the  balance  of  nature  against  the 
Swallows,  ending  in  their  death 
as  a  species  and,  of  course,  the 
death  of  their  dependents. 

A  still  more  obvious  episode  I 
have  seen  many  times  in  the  barn- 
yard. A  Hen  had  made  a  nest  in 
a  certain  place,  and  was  already 
sitting.  Later  another  Hen,  de- 
siring the  same  nest,  took  posses- 
sion several  times  during  the  own- 
er's brief  absence,  adding  some  of 

58 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS 

her  own  eggs,  and  endeavoring  to 
sit.  The  result  was  a  state  of  war, 
and  the  eggs  of  both  Hens  were 
destroyed. 

It  is  not  easy  to  say  whether 
this  was  coveting  or  stealing,  but 
I  find  it  equally  difficult  to  dis- 
criminate between  the  t\\  o  laws 
that  forbid  these  things. 

This  was  the  last  of  the  lower 
group  of  commandments,  and  here 
my  pathway  seemed  to  end.  If 
the  next  in  order  merely  enforced 
a  period  of  rest  among  toilers,  then 
could  I  find  illustrations  among  all 
toilers.  But  this  would  be  a  phys- 
ical interpretation,  and  would  take 
it  out  of  the  superior  class  of  ordi- 

59 


IHE  NATURAL  HISTORY  OF 

nances,  where  commentators  gen- 
erally agree  that  it  belongs.  They 
maintain  that  its  purpose  is  to 
set  apart  a  time  for  spiritual 
matters,  and  of  this  there  was  no 
discernible  recognition  in  my  field. 
I  could  find  nothing  in  the  ani- 
mal world  that  seemed  to  sug- 
gest any  relation  to  a  Supreme 
Being. 

Therefore  I  reformed  my  theory 
to  fit  the  new  facts,  and  presented 

it  thus: 

The  first  four  commandments 
have  a  purely  spiritual  bearing; 
the  last  six  are  physical.  Man  is 
concerned  with  all,  the  animals 
only  with  the  last  six. 

I  was  also  struck  by  the  thought 
60 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS 

that  in  all  cases  the  ultimate  penalty 

is  death. 

There  was  another,  a  disappoint- 
ing conclusion  forced  on  me.  It 
seems  that  law  exists  only  between 
members  ofthe  same  species.  Wolf 
and  Wolf  have  law,  Crow  and  Crow, 
Weasel  and  Weasel,  Mouse  and 
Mouse  even,  but  never  so  far  as  I 
can  see.  Wolf  and  Mouse,  or  Crow 
and  Weasel.  There  is  nothing  but 
bitter  war  between  them;  their 
might  is  their  right 

We  should  not  marvel  at  this, 
however,  since  it  was  ever  thus  with 
man  until  the  latest  light  came. 
Ask  any  savage  which  is  worse,  to 
steal  some  trifling  article,  the  prop- 
erty of  his  tribesman,  or  to  massa- 

6i 


THE  NATURAL  li    TORY  OF 

ere  a  family  of  the  neighlxMriag  tribe. 
He  will  as  surely  answer  Uie  £mner 
as  we  should  the  latter. 

Only  in  his  highest  development 
is  man  capable  of  the  broad  love 
and  sympathy  that  take  in  all  the 
human  race,  and  extend  even  to 
the  beasts  of  the  field. 

With  this  conclusion  then  I  was 
forced  to  halt  the  investigation: 
That  we  may  find  in  the  animals 
the  beginnings  of  man's  physical 
and  mental  attributes,  but  not  a 
vestige  of  foundation  for  his  spirit- 
ual nature.  And  the  conclusion 
seemed  the  end.  Because  the  trail 
became  obscured  I  thought  it  went 
no  further.  But  a  faint  glimmering 
of  light  came  unexpectedly. 

63 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMINTS 

My  twenty-five  years  of  journals 
had  been  copied  and  the  copies  cut 
up  so  that  incidents  referring  to 
each  subject  might  easily  be  filed. 
1  found  several  new  subjects  well 
represented,  such  as  the  evolution 
of  sanitation,  amusement,  intercom- 
munication, etc,  and  a  final  depart- 
ment of  unexpiamed  strange  in- 
stances;  when  I  got  many  of  these 
together  I  found  that  they  began 
to  explain  each  other.    To  make 
this  clear  I  give  several  of  them 
now: 

I  St  Dr.  G.  B.  Grinnell  tells  me 
that  when  out  shooting  with  General 
Custer's  party  near  the  Black  Hills 
in  1874,  they  observed  a  Falcon  in 
pursuit  of  a  wild  Pigeon;  when  the 

63 


THE  NATURAL  HISTORY  OF 

latter  saw  that  it  could  not  escape 
its  winged  foe,  it  took  refuge  among 
the  men,  resting  on  one  of  the 
saddles. 

2d.  Mr.  Geo.  F.  Guernsey,  of 
Fort   Qu'Appelle,  Saskatchewan, 
writes  me  that  some  years  ago  a 
neighbor  and  his  wife  standing  in 
their  cattle  yard  saw  a  pack  of  five 
Coyotes  chasing  a  Fox.    The  Fox 
was  pretty  nearly  spent;  it  ran 
finally  right  up  to  the  woman, 
and  crouched  for  protection  at  her 
feet 

3d.  In  the  December  of  1886,  I 
was  hunting  Snow-shoe  Rabbits  in 
a  little  grove  near  Carbeny.  The 
one  I  was  pursuing  escaped.  It  was 
an  exceedingly  cold  day,  some  35 

64 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS 

degrees  below  zero.  I  laid  my  gun 
on  my  sleigh  and  busied  myself 
lighting  a  fire  to  make  some  tea. 
As  I  cowered  over  this  trying  to 
think  I  was  getting  warm,  I  saw  a 
Rabbit  running  through  the  little 
grove.  It  ran  past  me  some  forty 
yards  away;  then  I  noticed  some 
twenty-five  feet  behind  it  another 
Rabbit  running  very  fast  in  pursuit 
The  first  circled  round,  came  nearer. 
Now  I  saw  that  the  smaller  Rabbit 
was  not  a  Rabbit  at  all,  but  a  white 
Weasel,  an  Ermine,  that  was  run- 
ning the  Rabbit  down.  The  chase 
continued  around  me,  but  ever 
nearer.  Though  so  much  swifter 
the  Rabbit  was  losing  because  the 
paralysis  of  terror  was  setting  in. 

65 


THE  NATURAL  HISTORY  OF 

The  Weasel  was  within  a  few  feet 
of  his  victim  and  ready  for  the  final 
spring,  when  that  Rabbit  made  a 
rush  toward  me,  and  took  refuge 
under  the  sleigh  near  niy  feet— 
came  to  me,  who  had  been  trying  to 
kill  it  a  few  minutes  before. 

The  Weasel  flashed  about  and 
under  the  snow,  curiing  his  nose 
a  little ;  then  realizing  that  he  v/as 
probably  running  into  danger,  dart- 
ed under  brush  and  snow  to  vanish. 
The  Rabbit  cowered  at  my  feet 
for  a  few  minutes,  but  recovered 
and  hopped  away  in  another  di- 
rection. 

4th.  In  the  October  of  1898,  I 
was  riding  across  the  Bighorn  Basin 
(Wyoming)  with  Mrs.  Seton  and 

66 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS 

Mr.  A.  A.  Anderson,  when  we  no- 
ticed near  the  horizon  some  bright 

white  specks.  They  were  moving 
about,  disappearing  and  showing 
again.  Then  two  of  them  seemed 
to  dart  erratically  over  the  plain, 
keeping  always  just  so  far  apart 
Soon  these  left  the  others  and  ca- 
reered about  like  twin  meteors,  this 
way  and  that,  then  our  way;  at  first 
in  changing  line,  but  later  directly 
toward  us. 

Their  wonderful  speed  soon  ate 
up  the  intervening  mile  or  two,  and 
we  now  saw  clearly  that  they  were 
Antelope,  one  in  pursuit  of  the 
other.  High  over  their  heads  a 
Golden  Eagle  was  sailing. 

On  they  came;  the  half-mile 
67 


THE  NATURAL  HISTORY  OF 

snrank  to  a  couple  of  hundred 
yards,  and  we  saw  that  they  were 
bucks,  the  hinder  one  larger,  dash- 
ing straight  toward  us  still.  As 
they  yet  neared  we  could  see 
the  smaller  one  making  desperate 
efforts  to  avoid  the  savage  lunges 
of  the  big  one's  horns,  and  barely 
maintaining  the  scant  six  feet  that 
were  between  him  and  his  foe. 

We  reined  up  to  watch,  for  now 
it  was  clear  that  the  smaller  buck 
had  been  defeated  in  battle  with 
an  exceptionally  vicious  rival,  and 
was  trying  to  sa/e  his  life  by  flight. 
But  his  heaving  flanks  and  gaping, 
dribbling  mouth  showed  that  he 
could  not  hold  out  much  longer. 
Straight  on  he  came  toward  us,  the 

68 


TIIL  TEN  COMMANDMENTS 

deadliest  foes  of  his  race,  the  ones 
he  fears  the  most. 

He  was  between  two  deaths  — 
which  should  he  choose?  He 
seemed  not  to  hesitUe — the  two 
hundred  yards  shrank  to  one  hun- 
dred, the  hundred  to  fifty — ^then 
the  pursuer  slacked  his  speed.  It 
would  be  'blly  to  come  farther. 
The  fugitive  kept  on  until  he 
dashed  right  in  among  our  startled 
horses.  The  Eagle  alighted  on  ^e 
rock  two  hundred  yards  siv  \y 

The  victorious  buck  vc  ?  ;  '  % 
shaking  his  sharp  black  hoi  i  d 
circling  at  a  safe  distance  around 
our  cavalcade  to  intercept  his 
victim  when  he  should  come  out 
the  other  side.    But  the  victim  did 

69 


THE  NATURAL  HISTORY  OF 

not  come  out  He  felt  he  was 
saved,  and  he  stayed  with  us.  The 
other  buck  seeing  that  he  was 

balked,  gave  up  the  attempt,  and 
taming  back,  sailed  across  the  plain 
till  he  became  again  a  white  speck 
that  joined  the  other  specks,  no 
doubt  the  does  that  had  caused  the 
duel. 

The  vanquished  buck  beside  us 
stood  panting,  with  his  tongue  out, 
and  showing  every  sign  of  dire  dis- 
tress. It  would  have  been  easy  to 
lasso  him,'but  none  of  us  had  any 
desire  to  do  him  harm.  In  a  very 
short  time  he  regained  his  wind, 
and  having  seen  his  foe  away  to  a 
safe  distance,  he  left  our  company 
to  go  off  in  the  opposite  direction. 

70 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS 

The  Eagle  realized  now  that  he 
was  mistaken  in  supposing  that 
something  was  to  be  killed,  and 
that  there  would  be  pickings  for 
him.  He  rose  in  haste  and  soared 
to  a  safe  distance. 

5th.  This  I  heard  from  George 
Crawford,  the  well-known  guide  of 
Mattawa;  it  was  corroborated  by 
others  in  camp : 

In  March,  1888,  while  out  with 
his  partner  to  catch  Moose  for  Dr. 
S.  Webb,  he  came  on  a  Moose- 
calf  track  in  the  deep  snow.  There 
was  no  sign  of  a  cow,  so  they  turned 
their  Dog  loose.  Very  soon  they 
heard  him  barking,  and  came  up  to 
the  calf.  It  rushed  toward  them 
with  bristling  mane.   His  partner 

71 


THE  NATURAL  HISTORY  OF 

ran  away,  and  he  got  behind  a  tree. 
The  calf  charged  up  to  him  and 
quickly  wheeled  to  face  the  Dog. 
It  paid  no  heed  to  the  man  then, 
but  when  he  turned  homeward  it 
followed  him  for  protection,  crowd- 
ing up  close  and  watching  the  Dog. 
At  home  he  put  a  halter  on  it,  and 
it  allowed  him  to  lead  it  quictiy 
into  the  stable.    It  was  shipped  to 
Dr.  Webb,  and  is  now  roaming  the 
Adirondacks. 

6th  The  following  was  related 
to  me  by  Edouard  Crfite,  of  Deux 
Rivieres : 

In  late  September  of  1893,  a 
mail-carrier  was  starting  from  Bear 
Lake  to  Deux  Rivieres.  Cr^te 
showed  him  a  short  cut  over  Brul* 

7a 


THE  TEN  OOMMAKOIIEirrS 

Lake.   Some  hours  later  two  men 
were  out  that  way  kwking  for  axe- 
handks,  md  heard  the  matl<arrier 
shouting  for  l^lp.    Instead  of  go- 
ing to  him  they  ran  back  to  camp 
in  great  fear.   The  foreman  picked 
up  a  Me  and,  accompanied  by 
Crfttc,  went  as  fast  as  possible  to 
the  place.   They  heard  the  shout- 
ing as  soon  as  they  came  withm 
a  half-mile.    When  near  enough, 
he  called  out:  "A  Moose  has  got 
me  up  a  tree."   They  came  close, 
and  saw  it  was  a  cow  Moose.  She 
would  neither  go  away  nor  charge. 
Indeed,  she  paid  no  attention  to 
them.    The  foreman,  Jean  Bas- 
quin,  walked  up  within  twenty 
yards  and  shot  her. 

73 


T»  HATURAL  HISTCmY  OP 

The  mail-carrier,  it  seems,  had 
come  on  the  cow  suddenly.  She 
was  abne,  but  came  toward  him 
squcali^.    Her  mane  was  up,  and 
she  seemed  to  be  threatening  him. 
He  had  nothing  but  a  hatchet,  so 
ran  for  a  tree,  and  happened  to 
find  one  leaning  so  much  that  he 
could  walk  up.    She  ran  beiand 
him  within  touching  distance  all 
the  way,  but  did  not  strike  at  him. 
The  tree  at  the  highest  point  was 
only  ten  feet  up.    Here  the  man 
sat,  the  Moose  below.    She  could 
easily  have  struck  him,  but  made 
no  attempt  to  do  so.    There  she 
stayed  watching  him;  her  mane 
bristled  all  the  time. 
When  she  heard  the  other  men 
74 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS 

coming  she  merely  turned  her  hcM, 
but  durmg  the  three  hours  that 
she  kept  the  man  up  that  tree  she 
did  not  leave  the  spot  for  a  mo- 
ment 

When  examined  after  skinning, 
her  left  side  was  found  in  a  dread- 
ful condition.    Evidently  she  had 

been  attacked  by  a  bull  Moose 
some  days  before.  The  horns  had 
pierced  her  flank  in  five  places. 
The  side  was  all  inflamed  and  mat- 
ter had  formed  in  four  places.  She 
must  have  been  suffering  great  pain, 
and  would  surely  have  died  before 
long.  They  could  not  make  out 
why  she  should  go  to  the  man,  but 
it  is  quite  certain  she  was  not  there 
to  do  him  any  harm,  for  she  had 

75 


THE  NATURAL  HISTORY  OF 

every  opportunity  and  did  not 
strike  at  him  once. 

Why  then  the  angry  bristling  of 
her  mane?  ^Perhaps  it  was  not 
anger.  It  may  have  been  any  other  ' 
intense  feeling.  It  is  not  easy  to 
discriminate  so  finely  the  expres- 
sions of  animal  emotion.  We  only 
know  that  she  was  greatly  wrought 
up  about  something. 

These  are  the  incidents.  They 
seem  to  have  a  common  principle. 
Divested  of  externals,  what  is  the 
cardinal  thought  in  each?  This,  I 
take  it — that  when  the  animals  are 
in  terrible  trouble,  when  they  have 
done  ail  that  they  can  do,  and  are 
face  to  face  with  despair  and  death. 


THE  TBN  COMMANDMIMTS 

there  is  then  revealed  in  them  an 
ins'tinct,  deep-laid — and  deeper  laid 
as  the  animal  is  higher — which 
prompts  them  in  their  dire  ex- 
tremity to  throw  themselves  on  the 
mercy  of  some  other  power,  not 
knowing,  indeed,  whether  it  be 
friendly  or  not,  but  very  sure  that 
it  is  superior. 

Here  perhaps  is  the  looked-for 
light.  I  was  seeking  in  the  animal 
nature  for  beginnings  of  the  spir- 
itual life  ill  man,  for  something  that 
might  respond  to  the  four  higher 
ordinances.  Maybe  in  this  instinct 
of  the  brute  in  extremity,  we  have 
revealed  the  foundation  of  some- 
thing which  ultimately  had  its  high- 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS 

est  development  in  man,  reaching, 
indeed,  like  the  Heathen  Thinker's 
Tree,  from  root  in  the  earthy  dark- 
ness to  its  fruit  in  the  Realm  of 
Light 


78 


